Royal Antwerp have sent a message to Rangers on Twitter after opting to train at Auchenhowie in a bid to protect the Ibrox pitch.
It’s customary in European competitions for away teams to be allowed to train in the home side’s stadium in order to get a feel for the surface and their surroundings in advance of the game.
However, once again, there are concerns about the state of the pitch at Ibrox.
Rangers fans complained during Sunday’s Premiership win over Dundee United as the surface looked bare and heavy in places, with the presence of pigeons suggesting that reseeding had recently taken place.
Gers left-back Borna Barisic was left visibly annoyed by the underfoot conditions after treading on the ball in the closing stages of the first half, so it’s no surprise that, following more poor weather in recent days, every effort is being made to protect the pitch ahead of Thursday night.
Antwerp tweeted a greeting to Rangers in advance of their training session at the Rangers Football Centre on Wednesday, before confirming why they had opted against completing their preparations at Ibrox.
After winning the first leg 4-3 in Belgium, the Gers will be confident that they are capable of progressing to the Last 16, despite the absence of key players such as James Tavernier, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe due to injury.
Antwerp have been boosted by the return of Didier Lamkel Zé following suspension, but three important players didn’t travel in a triple blow.
Ahead of the match, check out our Preview Video over on the Rangers News YouTube Channel.
